Our Impact - Burlington Community Robotics

FIRSTS Impact:

81%

Of FIRST Alumni Declare
a Major in STEM

69%

Of Female Alumni Declare
a Major in STEM

3.5x

Are Students More Likely
to Take Courses in Engineering
& Computer Science

61%

of FIRST Alumni Currently Hold
Positions in a STEM Industry

51%

More Likely are Female FIRST Alumni
to Declare a STEM Major

The impact FIRST robots have on students is profound and long-lasting. Student participation in FIRST Robotics dramatically increases student interest and engagement in STEM fields, with many alumni pursuing higher education and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics The Program also provide important life skills including problem solving, teamwork and leadership. Over time, students participating in FIRST Robotics have gained more confidence and improved communication skills, demonstrating the role the program plays in creating well-rounded and capable individuals who are ready to meet the challenges of the future.

Hear From Our Alumni:

Dev D

2010 Alumni

After joining MMRambotics in 2008, after being limited to computer science students, I had the opportunity to explore all aspects of the team, from manufacturing, design, electrical, and programming all the way to marketing and media. It was a very enriching experience to collaborate with other team members under the guidance of mentors to design and develop robots to complete the game objectives. I graduated from MMR to pursue a mechanical engineering degree, which later proved to not be the best fit for myself. Instead, I started a tool and die maker apprenticeship with the experience that I gained through MMRambotics—the aspect of manufacturing intricate parts and building functional mechanical assemblies. After completing my apprenticeship and moving up as a journeyman toolmaker, I worked in the tool and die industry for 10 years before taking on a machine builder role at an automation company that utilizes robots from Fanuc, ABB, and Yaskawa. Currently, I carry out the responsibilities and duties as a lead in automation projects, where I lead teams of programmers, millwrights, and electricians while collaborating with engineers to carry out projects to completion. My heaviest involvement with this company is to develop and implement solutions to improve the accuracy and consistency of automated cells and robots, as well as carry out field service calls for troubleshooting.

Matt G

2007 Alumni

I was originally planning to go into medicine, but my experience on 2200 opened my eyes to the world of STEM. Upon graduation, I decided to study Mechatronics Engineering and graduated Valedictorian of the Engineering class at McMaster. The robots we built back then were less cool than the current 2200 bots, it’s been incredible to see the progress this program has made. While at McMaster I founded a hardware company that has since pivoted into pure software. It has grown to about 75 employees and has raised over $30M in VC funding. We have customers like ADT, Telus, and Meta and our software is used by millions of people every year.

Jamie H

2016 Alumni

I was always a creative at heart. I was conflicted between traditional arts and the more technological aspects of art. Working on the programming team of MMRambotics helped me to understand my full passion for tech. After highschool I went to Carleton University for Interactive Multimedia Design. Where I studied Human Computer Interaction, Gameplay Programming, and Design. I’ve since gone to graduate and work as a User Experience designer at BHVR Interactive on their hit game Dead By Daylight.

Jayton M

2017 Alumni

I joined Rambotics in grade 9, and got an amazing opportunity to learn so much that goes into the prototyping, designing, building, and coding robots to do some spectacular things throughout the 4 years I was there, graduating in 2017. I’ve gotten my Bachelor’s of Engineering, and now I am working as a Software Developer at Ross Video designing innovative software for live productions.